A couple weeks ago I attended the second annual Awards Ceremony for the Volunteens of Long Beach. Founded by parents Holly Reinhard and Yasemin Altuner, the Volunteens are a group of high school students that organize mass amounts of bodies to serve local charitable causes.
Almost two hundred high school students spilled out of the downstairs meeting room at the Long Beach Yacht Club; some parents and I were asked to go outside to make room for interested teens drooling to become members of this organization. I gladly vacated to make more space.
With the simple idea of creating a co-ed group of teens to come together, receive consistent communication on volunteer opportunities in the city, and to beef up their resumes for the stressful college application process, the Volunteens of Long Beach are an effective force of Long Beach students helping over a dozen nonprofit organizations based in Long Beach.
High school students attending Long Beach Unified schools are required to complete a minimum of 40 service hours to graduate. Logging more than that is a choice students can make on their own, and a choice the proactive Volunteens of Long Beach are making every day. “It’s really good for college,” said one student, “and it’s a fun and rewarding experience.”
To make things easier, all opportunities are coordinated through email – the preferred choice of communication for the current teenage generation. When an opportunity is blasted out over the internet, students may simply respond with a commitment or wait for the next one to come along. They are held accountable by a student-run executive board. Policies have been established to ensure commitments are met, and consequences exist for those who fail to “show up” or meet the minimum requirements. “When organizations rely on our students it is vital that those students show up to the event,” says Altuner. “We have a reputation to uphold and the nonprofits have significant needs that need to be met,” she continues.
The Volunteens of Long Beach are a win-win for the community and for the development of civic-minded young people. While providing human capital to local causes, students are gaining a practical understanding of their community’s needs in addition to strengthening their college applications.
If you are reading this article, it is probable that you have interacted with the Volunteens of Long Beach in the past two years. They have participated in most of Justin Rudd’s programs in Belmont Shore, events with the Long Beach Aquarium, Memorial Hospital, Friends of Long Beach Animals, The Long Beach Kids Connection, Children Today, The Special Olympics, and so much more. Perhaps their largest project currently is Quilts of Valor, where students create quilts for troops serving overseas.
Look out for these students when you’re out and about. They’re the ones in white or black t-shirts, and they’re the ones providing mass bodies to help achieve the needs of our local community. Their service is invaluable. Thank them, and then thank them again!